Long awaited Google Calendar is here

Posted By on April 14, 2006

Google Calendar
The long awaited Google Calendar was announced today and so I thought would give it a whirl. (sort of ho-hum) I’m not sure what I was expecting, but its just another place to place and share appointments and schedules. Obviously I’m going to need to tinker with it a bit longer, but so far I don’t think its a must have. (Gmail is another thing … its a must have in my opinion.)

Corner of Google CalendarThe Google calendar software is different from other online calendars because it allows users to maintain several calendars and integrated them with other web services and software. It enables a user selectable “who can view” option so you can share information. This might be great for clubs and organizations that use the google groups, but I’ve not notice Yahoo’s calendaring option really being used that much in their Groups email list service.

‘Calendaring’ could be an interesting way to integrate content and date oriented information into computer tools people use. Google Calendar comes with the capabilities of invitation software like Evite, and could quickly and friends and contacts to how people connect with busy schedules. I personally have contemplated a family schedule where each activity is plugged into the calendar and conflicts avoided. We’ll see, but unless someone uses Google calendar and allows importing that data into our family calendar, I doubt my family will plug each and every event in?

Here’s what Carl Sjogreen the project manager for Google Calendar thinks: “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information, and what people have going on in their lives is very important for them.” Google Calendar may be a slow start for me, but it hasn’t been quite as disappointing as Google Video — yuck.

Comments

  • http://my.opera.com/bhtooefr/blog bhtooefr

    Well… it’d be nice if it worked in Opera, which is the browser I use.

    GMail is one of those “must haves” for me, too. Nice, easy to use, lots of storage, and SEARCHABLE, unlike something like a lookOut inbox. :P

  • http://my.opera.com/bhtooefr/blog bhtooefr

    Well… it’d be nice if it worked in Opera, which is the browser I use.

    GMail is one of those “must haves” for me, too. Nice, easy to use, lots of storage, and SEARCHABLE, unlike something like a lookOut inbox. :P

  • http://cincitdi.com Tim

    I really wish it would integrate with gmail, so when people send me outlook requests I could immediately add it to my google calendar.
    Google calendar does have some somewhat hidden features such as being able to publish it with a unique url that you can then access with a standard XML/RSS feed, even put it on your google home page.
    I think that google calendar by itself isn’t useful but when coupled with googles other services (or open API’s like google maps) it can be really useful.

  • http://cincitdi.com Tim

    I really wish it would integrate with gmail, so when people send me outlook requests I could immediately add it to my google calendar.
    Google calendar does have some somewhat hidden features such as being able to publish it with a unique url that you can then access with a standard XML/RSS feed, even put it on your google home page.
    I think that google calendar by itself isn’t useful but when coupled with googles other services (or open API’s like google maps) it can be really useful.

  • http://www.myarchive.us/richc/2003jettatdi RichC

    There were some feature in the Google Calendar that I didn’t find until today … its growing on me. I might have ‘ho-hummed’ too soon. :-)

  • http://www.myarchive.us/richc/2003jettatdi RichC

    There were some feature in the Google Calendar that I didn’t find until today … its growing on me. I might have ‘ho-hummed’ too soon. :-)

  • http://www.myarchive.us/richc/2003jettatdi RichC

    Tim,

    Heard the integration thing is in the works and suspect that it will come shortly. Some of the import stuff is going to take a little doing if you are using odd ball stuff but suspect that Outlook will be supported well.

    You are right about the API’s that will capitalize on the Calendar … I’m looking forward to that as I’ll bet it will be just like the mapping stuff.

    Thanks for commenting.

    RichC

  • http://www.myarchive.us/richc/2003jettatdi RichC

    Tim,

    Heard the integration thing is in the works and suspect that it will come shortly. Some of the import stuff is going to take a little doing if you are using odd ball stuff but suspect that Outlook will be supported well.

    You are right about the API’s that will capitalize on the Calendar … I’m looking forward to that as I’ll bet it will be just like the mapping stuff.

    Thanks for commenting.

    RichC

  • http://cincitdi.com Tim

    Its definately more then just in the works as it showed up this morning when someone sent me a calendar request from an Exchange client. It showed up in my gmail as a calendar request and I was able to reply with Yes/No/Maybe to the request. I replied as yes and it was added to my calendar, and the person who sent to me got a reply.
    I have been hoping for this kind of integration, and can see this type of integration turning into a lightweight “exchange killer” when it get coupled with gmail for your domain in beta test.
    I still have problems with how much information gets hosted/owned by Google, but for small companies this could have huge potential.

  • http://cincitdi.com Tim

    Its definately more then just in the works as it showed up this morning when someone sent me a calendar request from an Exchange client. It showed up in my gmail as a calendar request and I was able to reply with Yes/No/Maybe to the request. I replied as yes and it was added to my calendar, and the person who sent to me got a reply.
    I have been hoping for this kind of integration, and can see this type of integration turning into a lightweight “exchange killer” when it get coupled with gmail for your domain in beta test.
    I still have problems with how much information gets hosted/owned by Google, but for small companies this could have huge potential.

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.